Lettiere
announces completion of overhaul to important stretch of I-80
in Bergen County

(Trenton)
New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere
announced the completion of repairs to a stretch of one of New
Jersey's most heavily traveled interstates. Improvements
to I-80 Westbound through Hackensack, South Hackensack and Teterboro,
in Bergen County, include the rehabilitation of structures and
ramps that will improve traffic flow and enhance the quality of
life for motorists, while creating a safer driving condition.
This $22.2 million project is part of NJDOT's “Fix-it First”
strategy of repairing existing roads and bridges before investing
in new roadway expansion.

“We must
do everything in our power to make our highways safer for the
motorists that use our roads, ” Lettiere said. “We have
a responsibility to future generations to preserve our existing
roads through regular repair and rehabilitation.”

The purpose
of this I-80 rehabilitation project was to relieve traffic congestion
and improve driver safety by making operational improvements to
local lanes of I-80 Westbound between milepost 65.0 (Route 17
Northbound Entrance Ramp) and milepost 66.5 (Phillips Avenue overpass).
The project also included the rehabilitation of six exit
and entrance ramps.

This I-80
project has made significant safety and traffic improvements to
one of the busiest corridors in New Jersey; over 55,000 vehicles
pass through this 1.5-mile stretch each day. This corridor
is a major conduit, not only for commuters, but also for commerce,
allowing for goods to be transported from ports of entry directly
to the marketplace via I-80.

During
the project, an auxiliary lane from Phillips Avenue (Kennedy Avenue
entrance-ramp) to the exit ramp for Wesley Avenue off-ramp was
also added. This improvement eliminates a problem spot
for vehicles trying to exit the highway. This operational
improvement is designed to ease traffic congestion.

Improvements
will have the effect of adding an additional 12-foot auxiliary
travel lane for motorists through the project area. The
left shoulder was also widened from two feet to four feet.
The finished roadway has a 4-foot left shoulder, three 12-foot
travel lanes, a 12-foot auxiliary lane for traffic entering and
exiting the highway, and a 12-foot right shoulder. In addition,
the Polifly Road exit has 2 auxiliary lanes. Replacing
existing median with concrete “jersey” barriers created additional
space allowing for the construction of the additional lanes and
wider shoulders.

The $22.2
million “Fix-it First” project also included the rehabilitation
of two bridges: I-80 Westbound Local Bridge over Polifly Road,
and I-80 Westbound Local Bridge over Green Street. Rehabilitation
of these two bridges included the replacement of abutments, full
reconstruction of parts of the bridge superstructure, and repair
and replacement of some parapets.

Noise walls
have been constructed through roughly one mile of I-80 mainline
and adjoining ramps in the project area. These improvements
will significantly reduce noise for local residents living near
I-80 and Route 17. Noise walls have been installed along
I-80 Westbound from the bridge over Hudson Street to Phillip Avenue
Bridge over I-80, including respective exit and entrance ramps.
In addition, noise walls have been installed along I-80
Westbound from Summit Street onto the Route 17 Northbound ramp.